Hadramout and the Riyadh Agreement. Balanced geography and oil reservoirs out of the equation

Ahead of the signing of the Riyadh agreement, which is to be baptized in an official ceremony in the coming hours between the Yemeni legitimate government and the so-called separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), disgruntled voices have raised to the surface.

Statements from several tribal and political figures and components showed dissatisfaction with the outcome of the dialogue that led to an agreement with the Transitional Council by Saudi mediation.

Hadramout has been of great importance to all parties, as it has been the main state treasury for years because it is the most productive oil province, which covers about 70% of the state budget.

These statements raised questions in Hadhrami’s street about Hadramout’s status in Riyadh agreement and fears that it would be marginalized because those statements gave indications of objection and dissatisfaction from the issuers.

For more than a month, Hadhramaut governor General Faraj al-Bahsani visited Saudi Arabia after a therapeutic trip where he met with President Hadi, his deputy, the prime minister and a number of foreign ambassadors.

*Disgruntled statements

Mohsen Basurrah, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, from Hadhramaut province, called on the Hadhrami’s components of all directions to take advantage of opportunities to meet Hadramout’s demands.

Yesterday, in a statement to Al-Masdar online, Basurrah called on Hadhrami people to activate their all-inclusive conference and asked them to raise their voice to take their rights, warning against missing opportunities that are not repeated except in crises or wars or when states are established, he said.

Engineer Basurrah said that Hadramis are wisemen who can make a political choice that meets the aspirations of their people and takes away their stolen rights.

He added that Hadramout has been tired of guardianship and speaking on her behalf, annexation and attachment since 1967, 1990 and 1994 and 2019.

In a statement, Hadhramaut Valley and Desert Tribes called on President Hadi to include them in any agreements or consultations.

This came in two letters by what so-called the reference , a copy of which was received by Al-Masdar online, sent to President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and another to Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman.

In the letters, it pointed out that any arrangements or consultations they should be part of it and an active partner in it, stressing that there is no component representing everyone, especially Hadramout, specifically the valley and the desert with its large area that connects directly to the border with Saudi Arabia.

It pointed out that any outcomes of Jeddah consultations will not lead to effective solutions that can be applied on the ground as long as there are actors absent from them.

The president of the Hadhramaut Conference Sheikh Amr bin Habrish two days ago, sent a letter to President Hadi, in which he stressed that any arrangements concerning national issues, especially southern ones, which Hadhramaut is considered one of its pillars, does not include the gathering Conference of Hadramout, which represents in its output the Hadhrami consensus, it does not concern them. and does not represent them and will have a position on it.

Before arriving in Riyadh to attend the signing ceremony, Ben Habrish said in his letter that the Hadramout gathering conference sent representatives to participate and see closely the outcome of the ongoing dialogues sponsored by brothers in Saudi Arabia, which would represent the Hadramout gathering Conference, according to outcomes.

*Distance from the battle field have weaken Hadramout

Hadhrami politician Mohammed Balateef told Al-Masdar Online that Hadhramaut is not a key party to the conflict Agreement discussed in Jeddah since Hadramout was away from the ground conflict.

He added that Hadramout had some influence in weakening the position of the transitional, which he wished to appear in the image of the real representative of the South in general including Hadramout, but the mediator (Saudi Arabia) is aware of the size of the Transitional and the weakness of its impact on Hadramout in particular.

He attributed the movement by some Hadhrami parties by issuing statements, especially from the Gathering conference and the valley tribes’ reference to confirm Hadramout’s independence from the southern affairs and the lack of transitional representation of them.

Political analyst Ahmed Suleiman told Al-Masdar Online that the peaceful nature of Hadhramaut had previously considered a weakness as the province was marginalized and its political decision was confiscated because it could not impose its existence and preserve its interests by force of arms.

He added to Al-Masdar online that Hadramout remained absent in any political formation in power because its cadres in power were without authorities, because the force of arms was the only means to impose interests.

However, Suleiman said that weapons are no longer the most effective means of achieving interests, as Hadramout found itself in a new kind of battle that it has to fight for her rights.

*Alternative options

According to Balateef, the elites and the Hadhrami components are required to raise in the coming days their demands that confirm Hadramout’s specificity in any future settlement if Hadramout's demands are not met.

He stressed that Hadramout will inevitably find a response, especially since Saudi Arabia is the sponsor of this settlement and is closer than others to understanding and sympathizing with the Hadhrami situation.

Analyst Suleiman said Hadramout should resort to wealth sources and impose its conditions through it, as it succeeded last month in obtaining some of its demands.

He added that if a faction wants to impose a specific reality and refuses to recognize the reference of the outcome of the dialogue, al-Hadhrami people, in a civilized way, can impose a different reality that emphasizes the outputs that allow control over the export of oil.